Have you heard of sales 3.0? Salespeople and sales managers are persuaded time and again of the benefits of a elevator pitch. You already know it, the five powerful and catchy phrases you memorise to convince customers of your product or service. Pitching is back with sales 3.0, but not in the way you are used to. In this blog, Reachers gives you tips to improve your pitch.
Sales 1.0: transactional selling
From salespeople to sales managers and entrepreneurs, everyone is pitching to clients or at networking events. However, this is a dangerous evolution. Because, when you pitch, you assume that your interlocutor is interested in your offer and open to your proposal. This is because you yourself are hugely convinced of the benefits of your product, service or solution and you assume that, because of your pitch, customers and prospects automatically adopt this enthusiasm and will also be convinced. "The supply is good, so the demand will come," you think, but this is not always the case.
This phenomenon can be linked to sales method of sales 1.0, or transactional selling. In this, the salesperson is so convinced of the benefits of the product or service that he or she thinks the customer will automatically be convinced too. However, those days are long gone! Chances are, with this method, you are pitching to people who are not actually interested at all. So always ask your discussion partner questions first to find out whether he or she belongs to your target group and whether they might be interested in your product or service.
Sales 2.0: solution selling
As a response to transactional selling, in 1982 sales 2.0, or solution selling, brought to life by Frank Watts. His ingenious idea sounded like this: have your pitch preceded by a needs analysis. That way, you can find out whether and to what extent the customer is interested. Ask a number of targeted questions, for instance, and then come up with a solution. Watts applied this method successfully for the first time at Xerox, which marked the birth of sales 2.0 or solution selling meant.
While it is necessary to ask thoughtful and targeted questions during the sales process, we have already found that it does not always increase conversions. We explain why:
- The targeted questions are mainly for the seller's own benefit.
- The customer gets little benefit from answering all your questions.
- After all, he or she knows his or her own situation and associated needs all too well. It offers little added value for the customer to tell his or her story over and over again to different salespeople.
So solution selling has its limits, which is why older sales methods such as pitching are still often resorted to.
Sales 3.0: the new way of pitching
As a salesperson, do you now have to drop these questions and your pitch to sell successfully these days? Not at all, but add your own touch to your pitch. The new way of pitching with sales 3.0 is 'giving input'. A modern salesman does not just sell value for the customer, he ís value. Arguments alone are no longer enough, your competitors have them too. A contribution seller offers information and shares his or her knowledge in the customer's interest.
In short, sales method 3.0 or sales 3.0 involves the following:
- The salesperson provides valuable information about the industry or market in which the company operates. He or she provides the customer with valuable contacts and insights.
- In this way, the seller deals more in information than in products.
- This gives the customer a sense of trust, making them feel that they want to give something back.
The insertion of this valuable information is very effective and shows that sales is also a matter of give and take.
Want to improve your sales skills and learn more about sales 3.0? Discover the sales coaching From Reachers or take immediate contact with us for more information!
